There are thousands of great work-at-home jobs available today and there are also jobs that should be avoided if a person is looking for decent salary or regular employment. Staying far away from these unpopular work-at-home jobs is highly recommended.
Commission Jobs
Commission based jobs only pay when a service or product is sold or purchased. The most popular commission jobs are sales related positions. Some jobs offer a regular salary as well as commission which is the preferred method. However, for other positions that require something to be sold before a payment is sent are not good for workers that need a salary to pay bills or make ends meet. Compensation is not guaranteed which renders commission only jobs unreliable sources of income.
Bid Jobs
Bid jobs are popular on freelance job sites where a person bids for a particular job to get hired. The lowest and the most qualified bidder is the one that wins the job. If you like working on a temporary basis for low pay, then bid jobs can be a decent alternative or a way to get some extra income. The major issue with bid jobs is that the lowest bidder usually gets the job which means applicants could be working $1.00 or $2.00 an hour because they are competing with freelancers from all over the world. The pay will not allow you to make a living and the positions rarely last more than 3 months. Bid jobs are very poor choices for serious job seekers that need a more permanent employment option.
Telemarketing Jobs
Telemarketing involves cold calling customers trying to sell them a product or service. We have all had contact with telemarketers and many agree that they can get on our nerves on occasion. Working from home doing telemarketing or making cold calls often requires a peaceful, quiet and uninterrupted work environment. For those that telecommute, they will say that is most likely impossible to achieve unless you are living alone. Telemarketers have to be on the phone most of the day making calls and this is not a desirable way to make money.
Mystery Shopping Jobs
Mystery shopping is the act of going to a store, shop or restaurant and recording the experience for companies by making a purchase or using a particular service. Mystery shoppers work on an as-needed basis, which means the shoppers are only used once a month at most. Mystery shopping is great for those that need quick money to pay for something but not much else. Salaries and hours are not guaranteed, so this type of job is not recommended as a reliable source of income or as supplemental income.
Home Assembly Jobs
Home assembly is an extremely popular work from home option for first time telecommuters. Assembly and crafts used to be the main way a person could work at home and earn money, but has since become a haven for scams and fraudulent activity. The job entails assembling products such as toys or crafts and sending the completed product back to the company for payment. The assembler usually has to purchase a kit or package from the company to get started. Once the product is assembled and shipped back to the employer, the product is inspected and the agreed upon payment is sent to the person. In some cases the cost of the shipping, kit or package is also reimbursed. The most common complaint about these jobs are products not passing inspection, non-payment or not being given a refund for a returned package. Home assembly jobs have now become the type of jobs to avoid at all costs.
Any job is a good job if you need the money and don’t mind doing unpopular or odd jobs, but there a few that many job seekers should stay away from unless they have no other choice. Working from home is a luxury so many telecommuters feel that being picky is not smart. However, if the job does not pay well or the compensation is so low that a basic bill cannot be paid, it defeats the purpose of trying to earn a living from home.